As expected, it was Senegal versus Egypt and Sadio Mane against Mohammed Salah both Liverpool players in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Sunday night. But after two hours of football, which saw Senegal miss a thousand chances, it came down to penalties.
While Senegal had the full complement of their coaching crew, the Egyptian coach Carlos Queiroz was absent from the touchline after being sent off in the semi-final following two yellow cards for dissent within minutes of each other. But the Portuguese boss was communicating with his assistant from the stands via Walkie Talkie. One of his assistants, the South African Roger de Sa, was also missing due to suspension.
The star-studded Senegalese squad beat Burkina Faso in the semi-finals earlier this week and, also beat Egypt on penalties to win their first AFCON crown after being beaten in the final by Algeria in 2019. Egypt, which was beating by Nigeria in their opening game however, eliminated the hosts Cameroon on penalties. If they had beaten Senegal, it would have been their eighth AFCON title.
